The term “web pages” means individual pages present on the World Wide Web, typically texts described in an HTML or XHTML format. The IBM homepage builder (R) is application software for efficiently editing web pages. A user can design a page by selecting display objects, such as images or texts, to be displayed on the web page and arranging them at desired positions, without worrying about a data format, such as the HTML, with which the web page should comply. The designed page is automatically converted to a file in the HTML or XHTML format.
However, even when using such application software, the user is required to have considerable skill for achieving fine uniformity of the whole page to be designed. Fine uniformity of the page is achieved by coordinating modes of mutual proximity, alignment, and repetition of the respective display objects arranged on the page.
Some current application software for editing the web page permit very precise arrangement of the display objects, by using WYSWYG (what you see is what you get), i.e., a technique for matching contents displayed on the edit screen and processing contents, particularly represented by printing. However, they are rather inefficient for unifying modes of mutual proximity, alignment, and repetition of the respective display objects over the whole web page.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-312090 (page 13 and FIG. 2) discloses a method for displaying contents of an information providing server on a web browser operating on a client machine which accesses the server. The web browser displays common information to respective clients who access the server, while having a function for each client to arbitrarily select and display desired contents. Each client can display the individually selected contents only within a format frame, referred to as a controller.
In this manner, it allows for each client to customize the screen while ensuring fine uniformity of the screen which the web browser of every client displays.
However, since the controller does not have a function to adjust a display mode, for example, a size, of each of the contents displayed therein, a user still can arbitrarily arrange the contents within the controller. Namely, the controller does not regulate the display mode of the contents.
As a result, in the controller, the adjustment of mutual proximity, alignment, and repetition of the respective contents is still entrusted to a user, and it is difficult to ensure fine uniformity of the appearance of the web screen.